Britain's historic rights of way are under threat. Environment editor (and keen walker) JOHN INGHAM reports on a policy that could lead to thousands of paths and bridleways being lost

Rural trails such as the Pennine Way are part of our heritage (Image: Getty Images)

FOR years my pal Piers and I have talked and talked, over beer, wine and whisky, about doing some of Britain's great walks. Hadrian's Wall, Offa's Dyke, the Pennine Way, you name them, we've dreamed of conquering them. The big problem though is time. Work is the curse of the walking classes.

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But situated halfway between our homes, a brisk 20-minute walk up the slopes of the North Downs, is a hike we can fit in easily around the dreary need to pay the bills. Luckily for us, the Pilgrim's Way runs along the top of the great East-West escarpments in the form of the North Downs Way.

So the other day Piers and I struck out on our mission to follow Chaucer and walk the 80-odd miles to Canterbury and the shrine of Thomas a Becket using only footpaths where possible. We will do it in stages and knowing our dozy organisational skills we'll probably get there some time in the summer.

We completed the first leg, about 16 miles, with sweeping views over Kent, Surrey and Sussex, without seeing a single shop. We were inside the M25 yet we barely saw any houses. We spent the day on muddy footpaths, crossing fields and woods where in a few weeks the bluebells will turn the floors into scented seas.

Thankfully at the end we found a very welcoming pub, the Three Horseshoes in Knockholt, where we celebrated over a pint.

Big deal, you might say. Who cares about my walks? Well, we all should because many of our wonderful, ancient paths could soon be lost for ever.

Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, members of the public have until January 1, 2026 to apply for historic paths and bridleways not currently on official maps to be registered. Miss the deadline and they become ex-paths.

Daily Express Environment editor John Ingham (Image: NC)

It sounds like ages but given that most local councils, which have to process the claims, are understaffed, overstretched and struggling with funds, time is running out. The Countryside and Community Research Unit estimated that there could be 10,000 miles of unrecorded rights of way to be added to the definitive map.

But that could be an underestimate. In Cornwall alone there are thought to be 3,000 paths that need investigating.

You may say why should we bother? There are already 140,000 miles of registered public rights of way in England and Wales. But these rights are fragile. I've lost count of the number of times I've followed an Ordnance Survey map or post "public footpath" only to find a fence or field and realise it is no more.

Ancient paths are worth rediscovering because they are part of who we are. Jack Cornish, who heads the Don't Lose Your Way campaign for the Ramblers, said: "Historical routes have become rights of way by usage which goes back centuries. They are part of our cultural heritage as much as cathedrals and castles."

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JACK added: "These paths link villages, hamlets, roads and towns. They describe how generations before us travelled to the pub, field or shops and reflect the changing patterns of human interaction with the landscape.

"They include local, national and international pilgrimage routes and drovers' roads taking sheep and cattle to market in often distant towns and cities.

"They could be old miners' tracks, urban alleyways and ginnels or coffin routes over which the dead were taken from outlying communities to the parish church."

But many landowners quite reasonably don't want to open up paths without evidence that they are truly venerable. Applicants have to prove it has been in regular use for 20 years or submit evidence that it was set up or used as a right of way in the past, based on the legal maxim "once a highway, always a highway".

Applications typically include 10-20 pieces of evidence from a range of different sources.

Ideally, the Ramblers want the Government to extend the 2026 deadline, fearing the arbitrary cut-off point will come too soon.

The charity's president, broadcaster Stuart Maconie, said: "Protecting our rights to share in the countryside peacefully and responsibly is at the heart of everything we do at the Ramblers. "Thousands of miles of historic rights of way are at risk of being lost for ever. We must not miss this opportunity to put these paths back on the map, ensuring they can be used and enjoyed by generations to come."

Ancient paths are worth rediscovering because they are part of who we are (Image: Alamy Stock Photo)

THE Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has pledged to work with interested parties and to consider "the future direction of Rights of Way legislation".

A spokesman said: "Public access is key to connecting people with the environment to improve health and wellbeing. For that reason we will create powers through the Agriculture Bill to give financial assistance to support public access, and are continuing to work to further improve access in the countryside."

Defra should raise its eyes from Brexit and give campaigners a bit more time, and not just for the sake of history. These paths are good for us. Government estimates put the cost of dealing with obesity at £27billion a year. Making it easier to go walking in the countryside would help slash that bill.

Better still, my yomp on the Downs was an exercise in relaxation. We came back feeling a little weary but mentally refreshed. How do you put a price on that?